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Monday, 11 March 2013

(Day 234) Seoul Nambu Correctional Facility-day 139 D-17

sit-ups

push-ups

chair-lifts

100

40

40

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner = March 4

While I'm writing for waiting for my newspaper to be delivered, I want to play cards, but I'm scared of getting caught and having my cards confiscated as contraband, which kind of defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

Last night, I was caught playing just before the dimming the lights for the night. The guard shook his head and said no. I just looked at him with a dumbstruck expression and kept on playing. I figured the damage was done. He's either going to open the door and take my cards away or walk away and leave me alone. After watching me play a few hands as I consciously ignored him, he did the latter. That was a night time guard though. Perhaps he didn't feel like filling out paperwork for confiscated contraband.

Now, it's Monday and all the guards are rested and fired up with vigor from the weekend off, with newfound determination to exert their power over their little fiefdoms and lay down the rules of the land-- whatever the rules happen to be this week.

Meanwhile, I sit here bored. Debating whether I should break out the cards or not... waiting for my newspaper... or the TV... or a visitor, or letter to relieve the utter boredom that defines stir crazy in the stir.
That was close. There is an over friendly guard working today. When he arrived at work, he got his little clipboard and went down the cellblock checking his list and saying a cheerful hello as he went. His cheerful greeting announced his approach and I was able to gather the cards and hide them under my little table as he passed. Idiot. He may think being cheerful and friendly is endearing to the hardened criminals of cell block 7, but all it does is alert us to get rid of our contraband before he pushes his face up against the Plexiglas of our cell doors.

I've seen so many Korean dramas, I'm beginning to notice that the same actors keep reappearing lately. It’s like there is a limited pool of talent to choose from and they just shuffle between sets.